Dealing with Fatigue

V Care Foundation is a voluntary support group dedicated providing free help, hope, awareness & education to cancer patients & their families through outreach programs & services that improve the quality of their lives.

V-Care has prepared this booklet to help patients & their families understand & deal with cancer &its related conditions. We believe this will help the patient & the family faces the disease together to get in touch with us for any help.
Fatigue is a common problem of everyone these days. Adults and children alike are showing signs of stress and fatigue, but the cancer patient in particular is prone to fatigue due to many reasons.

The mental and physical stress of the disease alone can cause depression and fatigue. Or the nature of the cancer could also cause discomforts for there may be some swelling of the tissues and organ. Also, the effects of the treatments used to fight the disease; such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy could cause you to feel more tired then usual.

Coping and managing fatigue will help yu get through your treatment and help you feel more in control.

Realize the fatigue with chemotherapy and radiation therapy is expected. Once you accept this, you can take measures to combat it

Pay attention and learn to balance your energy. If you know that you are able to handle or go through 75% of your daily routine, while on treatment , then use this 75% energy on important work or events. Think of it as a bank account to which you must make deposits and withdrawals and plan accordingly, on a daily and weekly basis.

Rest when tired, but don’t lie down and give up.

Too much rest as well as too much activity will contribute to increased fatigue.

Pace your daily activities according to your energy levels. It is not unusual to have increased fatigue in the early morning or evening. Learn what YOUR BODY needs and pace your daily activities around your energy level. For example, if you are more energetic during early mornings and early evening, pace all your important activities at that time, or do activities that require more energy during that time, like perhaps some exercises, or cooking etc.

Avoid physical and mental stress.

Food will help energy levels. Try to eat small nutritious snacks and foods throughout the day. This will give you a spurt of energy to keep you going.

Most of all set priorities and save your energy for those things you enjoy. Housework will always be there and can be a thankless job. Avoid negative people, they are the last thing you need right now, even though they may mean well. The things you thought important before your diagnosis need to be rethought.

Try taking a walk in the park or around the neighborhood, it will do a lot to combat fatigue and you just might find a new perspective in the beauty of nature.

V care information resources:

V care provides helping booklet about cancer their treatments and coping with these include chemotherapy radiation therapy and diet for cancer patients.

At any stage of disease, supportive care is available to relieve the side effects of treatment, and to ease emotional concerns. Further information you can meet with one our volunteers or call out troll free help line-